Forty Acres Deep: Farmers, Husbands, and Wives

…so many of the emails, letters, and comments I’ve received are from husbands (mostly) and wives who say it’s caused them to take a long look at their own marriage. And although I’m grateful to say I just celebrated 20 years with my wife and hope for many more, and although the book is fiction, I know when I wrote about Harold (the protaganist of Forty Acres Deep) facing his unvarnished shortcomings and regrets as a partner, well, for some of that I was looking at the man in the mirror. As I said in a recent radio interview (listen here):

Also, I am blessed to say that I just celebrated my 20th anniversary with a wife who is a partner in every way. And yet I know that I fail on a regular basis as a husband. I’m loyal, faithful and true, but it turns out there’s more to a successful marriage than that. And there are things said and unsaid in every marriage.

So, I was really hard on myself, looking at how I am in my marriage, and then inserted that into the character. And his troubles went to a much darker extreme than mine.

I have been known to joke that when it comes to marriage “the probationary period is perpetual,” but so is the self-review and improvement process.

A related reminder: we’ve put together a discussion guide for Forty Acres Deep. More info here.

Also, this Saturday Sep 14, 2024, my performance at The Pumphouse in La Crosse will include readings from Forty Acres Deep, followed by a brief discussion, lead by Dr. Michael Smith, PsyD from Emplify Health by Gundersen. You can grab your tickets here.